Former Toronto Police Chief to Lead Canada’s Cannabis Legalization

Now an MP for Scarborough Southwest after the latest federal election, Blair was named parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould last month. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier delegated Wilson-Raybould the responsibility of the creation of “a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana.”

Blair will help facilitate that process, although the specifics are still unknown.

“There’s a great deal of work to do,” Blair told the Sun. “This will be a highly consultative process.”

“If our intention is to manage the risks, keep it out of the hands of our kids, and get organized crime out of it … then we need to regulate it,” Blair said. “Clearly, criminal sanction is not keeping it out of the hands of kids.”

“It’s a very complicated matter,” said Tory. “Exactly how do you change the law? How do you distribute marijuana? You know making sure that safety is kept at the forefront.”

During the election, Blair said he had seen how the criminalization of cannabis hadn’t worked while he served as a police officer.

“I have seen merely criminalizing marijuana hasn’t been successful in keeping it out of the hands of kids, it hasn’t kept organized crime out of the business,” Blair said, in April. “I think we can do better, through legalization and regulation, coupled with a strong public health response.”

“I am very encouraged by the public health approach advocated by CAMH and by recognition that the regulation of Cannabis also has value in public policy. I think it is an important discussion,” he said at the time.

Brent is a writer and editor living in Vancouver. He has a diploma in broadcasting from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton and a Communications Degree from the University of Calgary. He's held editing positions at a number of media outlets across western Canada, including the CBC. Joining us at Cannabis Life Network, Brent is helping to bring cannabis issues to the mainstream with solid reporting and entertaining commentary.

Yikes. This is such a touchy subject. On one hand, Justin Trudeau is being so politically savvy, but on the other–it’s putting the power in the hands of people who have previously enforced the criminality of marijuana use, along with all the racial profiling, etc. that is such an important part of this discussion. Hmmm. It’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out…